Machine for molding tablets of compressed food and the like



W. H. DAY. MACHINE FOR MOLDING TABLETS 0F COMPRESSED FOOD AND THE LIKE.

AP LICATION FILED JAN. 4, I9I9. 1,341,226-

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

-. w II Patented May 25, 1920.

W. H. DAY. MACHINE FOR MOLDING TABLETS 0F COMPRESSED FOOD AND THE LIKE.

AP LICATION FILED JAR-4 I9l9.

Patented May 25,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- lnvzmn.

ARM

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. DAY, OF HOUNSLOW, LONDON, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR MOLDING TABLETS 01? COMPRESSED FOOD AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Application filed January 4, 1919. Serial No. 269,593.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HARPER DAY a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at The Novelty Works, Ivy Road, Hounslow in the county of London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Molding Tablets of Compressed Food and the like, of which the following 18 a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in machines for molding tablets of compressed food and other art cles.

The present invention is designed to provide a machine which will mold large numbers of such tablets simultaneously.

Broadly contemplated the resent invention comprises a tank mounte on a su table framework and provided with a receiving trough-for the material to be compressed, combined with a mold plate which forms the bottom of the trough. This mold plate carries a series of molds arranged over a pis' ton head carrying a corresponding series of pistons adapted to registerwith the molds. The piston head may be stationary and the tank and molds adapted to be moved relativel thereto, or alternatively the tank and mol s may be stationary and the piston head and its pistons movable relatlvel to the tank and molds. The mouths of t e molds are covered by a compression plate and the tablets are molded between the compression surface of said plate and the compression faces of the pistons.

My invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings applied to a molding machine in which the tank and molds are stationary and the piston head and pistons are movable relatively to the tank and molds, in which- Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a duplex molding machine with the compression plates turned back from the mold plate;

Fig. 2 shows ,a perspective view of the machine with the compression plates locked in position over the mold plate;

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the machine with the compression plates turned back and a series of soup squares raised above the mold plate;

Fig. 4 shows a front view of an alternative form of lifting gearing, and

Fig. 5 shows a broken view in vertical section on the line A-B of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, the tank 1 is provided with a series of molds the mouths 2 of which extend through the mold plate 3 as shown more particularly in Fig. l of the drawings.

In the drawings I illustrate by way of example square molds for manufacturing soup squares as shown in Fig. 3. It should be understood, however, that the shape of the molds and their corresponding pistons are of course dependent upon the form of the tablet it is desired to manufacture in the machine. Further, it may sometimes be desired to manufacture soup squares and the like with fancy-shapes at each end and to mold such formations the compression faces of the compression plate and pistons must be given the desired shape. For instance, to manufacture soup squares with a round top and bottom I may recess the compression face of each piston while on the inner surface of the top plates which cover the molds I arrange a number of disks adapted to register with the mouths of the molds when the plates are in position and provided with recesses on the compression surfaces corresponding with the recesses on the com pression surfaces .of the pistons. The pistons which are not shown in the drawings are carried by the piston rods 4 mounted upon the piston head 5, the latter being adapted to be raised or lowered through a suitable gearing by the hand lever 6. The compression plates can suitably be formed as shown in the drawings by a pair of hinged top plates 7 arranged over the mold plate 3 in the bottom of the trough 8 and adapted to be turned over to cover the mouths 2 of the molds before the molding operation.

In the machine shown in the drawings the sides 9 of the troughs 8 are removable to allow of the top plates 7 being turned down upon the surface of the mold plates 3 as shown in Fig. 2. Means must be provided for locking the top plates in position and for this purpose Imay provide as shown in the drawings three pivotally mounted resistance bars 10. These bars are adapted to be swung from a central position clear of the top plates to a' position over the top lever mechanism may be provided with a suitable counterweight or eounterweights to facilitate the molding operation and to enable theuse in one machine of many hundreds of-molds and the consequent simultaneousproduction of corresponding-numbers of tablets.

I. 'In Figs. Land 5 I illustrate a suitable gearing for operating a duplex machine such as the machine shown. The hand lever '6 is adapted to turn a pinion 12 in engage- '-ment with a centralgear wheel 13which gear 'wheel is in one with a pinion 14 in 'mesh withgthe rack wheels 15 in engagement with the racks 16 connected with the piston is evenly raised or lowered with the mini thence into the molds.

head 5.*By this gearing thepiston head 5 mum of eifort. I l rThe walls of the molds inside the tank can, if desired, be reinforced with concrete.

In use, the material to be compressed is POUIGd' lIllSO the tank 8 and passes from The hinged top plates 7 1' are then turned down over the shown-thematerial in the molds is commouths 2 ofthe molds and are then looked inxposition. Ifthe tank 1 is stationary as I pressed by raising the piston head 5'with nits pistons or plungers against the top or icompression plates. 4O

\ If the tank is movable it is lowered against the stationary piston 'head, thereby compressing the niaterial in the molds betweenthe compression surfaces of thepistons and the top plates.

It'TWlll be readily understood that by varyingthe length of the molds and/or the length of movement of the tank or the 'r .pistonhead, whichever is movable, both the weight and the length of the article pro- -"duced can be varied at the will of the operator.

' What I claim is:

1. A machine for molding tablets of com- "-PIGSSBCliOOd and other articles comprising a receiving trough for the material to be compressed a mold plate forming the bottom of said receiving trough, a series of molds mounted in said mold plate, a piston head, a'series of pistons mounted on said piston head adapted to register with said molds, and a compression plate in the form v of .a pair of plates hinged to the top of the machine and adapted tocover the mouths ofrthem'olds in the bottom of the trough "duringthe'operation of molding the tablets of compressed food between the compression surface of said plates andthe eompres- -the sides of the trough and capable of being removed to allow of-the top plates being i turned down upon the surface ofthemold plate to cover the mouths of themolds during the operation ofinolding the tablets of compressed food between the :compression faces of the pistons.

3. A machine for molding tablets of compressed food and other'a-rticles comprising a receiving trough for the material to be compressed, a mpld plate' formingthe-bottom of said receiving trough, a series 01' 'molds mounted in sa-id mold plate, a piston head, a series of pistons mounted on said piston head and adapted to register with said molds, acompression plate in the form of a pair of plates hinged to the top of the machine, a pair of side bars adapted to form the sides of the trough and capable of being removed to allow of the top plates being turned down upon the surface of'the mold plate to cover the mouths ofthe molds during the operation of molding the tab lets of compressed food between the coinpressionsurface of said plates and the compression faces OfntllB pistons, a plurality of resistance bars adapted to be moved from a position in thecenter of the machine-clear of saidi'top plates to a position in whiclrthey are over. said topplates-and means for fastening said resistance bars in position over said top plates.

4. A machine for molding tablets of compressed food and other articles comprising a receiving trough for thematerial to be compressed, a mold plate forming the hot 1 5 tom of said receiving trough, a series of molds mounted in said mold plate, a piston head, a series of pistons mounted on said piston head and adapted to registerwith said molds, acompression plate in the form of a pair of plates hinged to thctop of the machine, a pair of sidebars adapted to form the sides of the trough and capable of being removed tofallow ofthe top plates being turned downupon the surface of the mold plate to cover the mouths of the molds during the operation of molding the-tablets of compressed food between the compression surface of said plates and the-compression faces of=the pistons, a plurality of resistance bars adapted to be moved from wheel in engagement with said pinion, and

a position in the center of the machine clear a pinion in one with said gear wheel of said top plates to a position in which adapted to engage a pair of racks carrying 10 they are over said top plates, means for the piston head.

fastenin said resistance bars in position In testimony whereof I sign my name to over sai top plates, a hand lever, a inion this specification.

turned by said hand lever, a centra gear WILLIAM H. DAY. 

